Finn (33 page)

“So far, we’ve rallied and taken into custody a hundred family members of the highest ranked gang leaders around the state to gather information. It’s going slow. Because of this, our police resources are slim.”

A man wearing an FBI jacket speaks up. “Can you read in my team a little more? Why are we just hearing about this? And with all due respect, it seems like something for the state bureau. To be honest, taking down a gang with a beef about their product being seized shouldn’t require nearly this much man-power.” He circles his arm in the air, indicating the room of men and women.

James looks at the man beside him, jerking his head. The guy turns his wide-screen monitor toward the room, and from this distance, all I can make out is an outline of squares and arrows. “This is a scale of what we’ve discovered while researching this gang. The reason we have such a collection of law enforcement involved is we believe the threats to DeSantis are a test. If this type of threat succeeds, it will set precedence for political blackmail everywhere. That’s why I called it old-fashioned. It happened right under our noses. It’s completely old-school style. While we were focusing on digging for personal enemies, opponent smear tactics, and the bigger threats, these assholes snuck in. They kidnapped the family and used them for political extortion.

“I’ll admit, my team was looking for a deeper meaning… a smoking gun. But it rolls back to the basics. So the reason the FBI is involved is because I’ve had a few contacts wired in on this, and they decided this could be a form of domestic terrorism.”

“Shit.” The FBI agent gives a low whistle. “Simple motive, simple greed, and simple execution.”

“Exactly,” James agrees. “So now, we follow their lead and go back to our own basics. My team is here to lend support and expertise, but we’re going to focus on the weak links and the locations. We’ll feed our information to you. Number one goal is to get the family back safely. Your agencies can figure out the rest once that happens. Governor DeSantis will be holding a press conference in two hours. He’s going to stall his resignation but give snippets of backing off his stance on the issues. We hope this tactic will give us more time.”

“What now?” another man speaks up.

James looks at his watch and switches on a large panel of TVs. “The news has been leaked. We are asking for tips from the public. A full team of trained people is set up in a room down the hall to answer tip lines. The kidnappers have been quiet, but we think they want some publicity to strengthen their integrity in the underground community. Each of you have been briefed, but let me know if you have any questions.”

“I have a question.” A man in a local police uniform raises his hand. “What and why exactly are you in charge? Most of us don’t even know you.”

I drop my head and hear Robbie snicker. We’ve heard this question so many times it’s humorous. James never boasts, and he absolutely never diminishes the role of local authorities. However, he’s always the man in charge. It’s the way he works.

“I’m an old friend of the Governor whom he trusts. He called me in when he suspected something was wrong and didn’t want to alert anyone if it turned out to be nothing. I’m also the guy who goes undetected. I can walk into a situation, assess, command, and take down without blinking. I don’t report to anyone but myself, but I assure you, I follow the law. And when this is all done, the credit belongs to you, and I go back to my life without dealing with the politics. Any more questions?”

Low grumbles are heard around the room, but no one speaks up.

“One more thing. My men are trained professionals. Treat them that way. We don’t go into dangerous situations blindly, and they are top-notch. You show any resistance or disrespect, you deal with me directly. I’m not your boss, nor am I your friend. I don’t give a shit if you like me or not. Want to start a pissing contest? Think you can outwit, outsmart, or outdo me? Try it. You won’t like the results.” James darts his eyes around the room, challenging anyone to respond. Then he strolls out, leaving silence.

I roll my shoulders and fight a grin, feeling a buzz of excitement. Time to find these assholes.

Presley

I
’m useless. For the whole day, my eyes have been glued to the television with my phone close. The news of Governor DeSantis’ family went viral and was on every channel for about twenty-four hours. Now, with no news or developments, the story is mentioned with promises of updates when available.

Ember and I have talked about ten times. Each time one of us gets a text or a measly two-minute phone call, we update each other. So far, there is nothing to be alarmed about. Finn sounds tired, but assures me he’s fine. The same with Robbie. Even Max has joined our daily calls. He had to go back to Virginia the day the guys left for Louisiana, and he doesn’t hide that he feels out of the loop.

The tune to “Outta the Woods” rings out, and I fumble to get to my phone. In my dash, I drop the bottle of water I’m holding, and it pours down my shirt before landing on the floor.

“Dammit! Shit! Hello!” I say, out of breath and jumping around.

“Presley? You okay?” Finn’s voice is full of concern.

“I’m fine. I was in such a rush to get to the phone I spilled water everywhere. Sorry.”

His light laugh is soothing. “Glad to know I can get you wet without being in the same state.”

“Finn! You’re incorrigible.”

“Oh yeah, baby. Keep going. I love it when you throw out the big words.”

I drop to the sofa and fling my head back, giggling at the ceiling. “How about you come home, and I’ll promise to recite the entire SAT prep exam to you in bed, naked.”

“Get ready and clear your schedule.”

“Really?” Hope blooms in my chest.

“Yeah, babe, we got ‘em.”

“You did?!?” I screech, jumping back to my feet and dancing in a circle. “That’s outstanding!”

“We’re moving out in a few minutes. Everything’s in place. Hell’s about to reign down on these bastards. Our undercover nanny found a way to communicate, and she also got a firearm. Kids are safe, and the wife needs medical attention, but her gunshot wound was more of a graze.”

“Finn!” My voice cracks, and I don’t stop the tears that fall. They are a mixture of pride and pure relief.

“Hey, why are you crying?”

“Because I love you and I’ve been on pins and needles. No matter how many times you’ve assured me you’re safe, I’ve still been doubtful.”

“When I get home, after I’ve shown you exactly how much I’ve missed you, we’re going to discuss your lack of confidence.” There’s a trace of hurt in his statement.

“I’m sorry. Next clandestine assignment, I’ll be more prepared.”

“Clandestine… there’s my scholar. I’d hardly call this a stealth mission since I’ve told you almost everything.”

A door closes on his end of the connection, and mumbled voices filter through.

“We’re headed out. Call you later. Love you.” He disconnects before I can respond.

I shoot off a text, hoping he hasn’t turned off his phone.

Love you too, more than you’ll ever know.

My phone rings, and I smile as I answer. “Hey, Ember, did you hear?”

“Yes, do you want to come over here and hang out while we wait for the good news? Raven, Declan, and the kids are coming. Jenna is bringing take-out, which is good, because out of all the men, James always calls Jenna first. So we’ll be in the know as soon as it’s all over.”

“Absolutely. I need to run by my dad’s for about an hour, but then I’ll be there.”

“Sounds good. See you in a bit.”

I change out of my wet shirt and throw a towel down to soak up the water on the floor. Then I grab a few things and head out to my dad’s with a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Reese calls me for an update, and Tripp gets on the phone, sounding pleased with the news I relay. He promises to call Max and says he’ll be stopping over at Robbie’s. The last call I make is to Evelyn. She’s already heard a small update from Jenna, but asks me to keep in touch as I hear from Finn.

Winnie and Johnny are in the driveway when I drive up, her on her bike as he shoots hoops.

“Hey!”

“You look chipper.” Johnny gives me a one-arm hug.

“I have great news. Where’s Dad?”

“Inside finishing a call.”

“Come on.” I link my elbow through his and gesture for Winnie to follow us inside.

Dad gives me a welcoming smile and kiss on the cheek when we meet him in the kitchen. Due to the sensitive nature of Finn’s work, we’ve purposely avoided talking about it in front of Winnie, so I get her set up in the other room with a movie. Once she’s settled and out of earshot, I tell my dad and brother the newest developments.

“Isn’t this terrific?”

“Sure is, do we have any idea of the timeline?” Dad grabs three beers and hands one to Johnny and me.

“No, but we can turn on the news in here. I’m sure there will be some sort of announcement once the family is released.”

Johnny flips it on and turns it down as we all sit around the island talking about nothing specific. It hits me that I’ve been so wrapped up in my life with Finn, it’s been forever since I’ve spent solid family time with my own family.

“Dad, you have any food here?”

“Went to the grocery store yesterday. What do you have in mind?”

“How about I make us dinner. It’s been too long since the four of us had a nice meal together.”

“Hell yeah, I vote for anything homemade. Your love life put a huge dent in my homestyle cooking.”

I swat his shoulder and go to the fridge to inspect the contents. “Tell you what, when we get into the new house, I’ll plan a dinner or brunch at least twice a month with home cooked meals.”

“Deal!” both men say in unison.

I take out the ingredients for Johnny’s favorite meal and send a quick text to Ember that I’ll be a few hours, explaining dinner with my family.

They offer to help, but otherwise, sit and talk, keeping me company. Johnny rambles on about a new girl he’s seeing, but swears it’s too soon to talk about emotional commitment. He actually stutters, and his neck starts to splotch when I mention meeting her. Dad’s laughter bounces through the room, causing Johnny to become flustered.

The memory of Finn meeting us at Chick-fil-A floods my mind, and how he pretty much invaded my life from that first night. If he had any issues with emotional commitment, he hid it well.

I take my time cooking, enjoying the time with these guys. The last time we did a dinner together at Dad’s with me cooking was before Simon died.

Winnie’s movie ends right as I finish dinner. We sit down and listen intently as she tells us everything happening in her life. No one gets to say more than five words as she dominates the conversation, jumping from subject to subject.

I sit back in my chair, stuffed full, as Johnny and Dad clear the dishes. Winnie climbs in my lap and starts to ask about Finn, when there’s a crash from the kitchen, startling us both. My phone rings from my purse at the same time Dad comes back, his face ashen.

My heart slams against my chest, my gut turning. Something’s gone wrong. Terribly, terribly, wrong.

Ember’s house is solemn when Johnny and I walk in. She’s sitting on the arm of the sofa with Jenna holding her hand. They both give us a weak nod then go back to watching the television.

Reese leaves Tripp’s side and comes to me, wrapping an arm around my waist and laying her head on my shoulder.

“They’re all going to be okay.”

“I hope so,” I manage to say over the lump in my throat.

An hour ago, the news broke that there was a shoot-out in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in an apparent rescue of the Governor’s missing family. The gang had been identified and several deaths confirmed, including one of the rescuers. There are also reports of injuries on both sides. So far, we know the DeSantis family is alive and were not among those injured.

The reporters on all channels keep repeating the same thing they were saying when I was at Dad’s. Apparently, the authorities tried to negotiate the release of the family and the nanny, but the kidnappers wouldn’t budge. We don’t know much more.

My mind spins with possibilities, but last I knew, Finn was still in the surveillance group. I try to think he’d be far away from the action. But what about Robbie, or James, or any of the Hayes Security team? The thought of them being hurt, or worse, sends a chill down my spine. Ember, Raven, and Jenna’s faces show me they are thinking the same thing.